Trollip bribery claims untrue - Selfe

BY CHARL BOSCH - APRIL 21, 2016

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has reportedly taken aim at newspaper claims that its provincial leader in the Eastern Cape, and Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral candidate Athol Trollip, had payed bribes to a party councillor in order to “dig up dirt” on its chairwoman.

Speaking in a statement, DA Federal Chairperson James Selfe said reports by the Daily Dispatch, Son, Herald and Weekend Post, which claimed that Trollip offered to pay party member Nontuthuzelo Jack to discredit DA Provincial Chairwoman Veliswa Mvenya, were not only “baseless and false”, but also damaging to his credibility.

Last month, it was reported that Trollip approached Jack at a police station in Motherwelll after a meeting, where he offered to pay her “R5 000” if she was prepared to side with his faction rather than Mvenya’s side. Jack however said she rejected the offer.

In a rebuttal, Selfe said an investigation by the party, called by leader Mmusi Maimane, showed that Trollip had been in Port Alfred and not in Port Elizabeth as claimed.

“I have been shown documentary proof to this effect which shows conclusively that he could not possibly have been in Port Elizabeth at the time this incident allegedly occurred,” Selfe said.

“Accordingly charges of crimen injuria and perjury have been laid against Ms Jack at the Motherwell SAPS. We have also laid a complaint with the Press Ombudsman against the Daily Dispatch for publishing these untruths without properly verifying their accuracy”.

He also rejected reports of candidate’s names for the forthcoming local government elections being manipulated, saying “I was able to track and verify every stage of the candidates' selection process, and could find absolutely no irregularity at all”.

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